


Masquerade

by Data_HEX



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Masquerade, ffxvminibang, soft and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21917941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Data_HEX/pseuds/Data_HEX
Summary: Ignis receives an invitation to the famous Behemoth Masquerade. Unable to take the partner he had hoped, Gladio, he finds himself alone at the masquerade.That is, until a stranger arrives.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37
Collections: FFXV Minibang 2019





	Masquerade

**Author's Note:**

> Huge kudos to my partner, @neutruel on Twitter, for the beautiful artwork they did to pair with my piece. <3 Thank you so much!  
> Their artwork can be found here: https://twitter.com/neutruel/status/1209184925410312192?s=20
> 
> The song that helped inspire this fic can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfe4ZRQOH8&t=1s

Ignis was running uncharastically late for a meeting he had this afternoon, which frustrated him a bit as he was always early or on time. Though, the flush on his face betrayed the other feelings that were swimming inside him. Gladiolus had stopped by his office at the library to drop off some books he needed for research.

~~~~~

“Thank you, Gladio. I was shocked when the library didn’t have these.” Ignis smiled warmly at the other man.

Gladio just shrugged and grinned. “You know me, fairly resourceful. You don’t need to give those back. Consider them a gift of sorts.” He winked. 

Ignis’s cheeks flushed. “You don’t need to do that, but thank you. I unfortunately need to get going though, I have a meeting with Noctis and Regis.” 

Ignis slipped the books into his bag, along with the rest of his notebooks. Closing the flap he slid the strap onto his shoulder and went to leave when Gladio closed his office door. 

“Gladio….” Ignis narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “I really need to get going.” 

“Oh shut up, they’ll live for a few minutes without you… and you know, you look really cute when you do that.” Gladio smirked as Ignis shifted his position to standing with his hands on his hips. 

Ignis opened his mouth to speak when Gladio stepped forward and put his finger on his lips. “Nope, I won’t hear it, not today. You’ve been purposefully making yourself busy and having to cancel plans. I want five minutes with you, alone, uninterrupted. Princess can wait.” 

Gladio slid both hands on the sides of Ignis’s face and kissed him. It was soft and gentle, causing Ignis to whimper, letting himself melt under Gladio’s touch. Relaxing a bit, Ignis reached for the other man’s waist, pulling him closer. 

Gladio grinned against Ignis’s lips. “You need to loosen up more, Iggy…”

Ignis rolled his eyes before looking back at Gladio. “There’s not enough time in the day to do that.”

“Yeah, yeah, same old song and dance. So, when are you going to be free?” Gladio nuzzled against his cheek. 

“Unfortunately, not for a while. And it isn’t my doing this time.” Ignis closed his eyes and took a deep breath, soaking in Gladio’s deep, woodsy scent. “The council has approved Noct’s request to open the citadel to the public for a day. There’s a lot of planning involved. It’s a nightmare.”

Ignis pulled away, face flush. “I really do need to go though… I’m late.” 

Gladio sighed, and kissed his cheek softly. “I know… Thanks for five minutes.” He winked again and left the office. Ignis stood there staring at the empty doorway before he shook his head, composed himself and headed to the meeting.

~~~~~

Ignis knocked on the conference room door to alert them to his presence before entering. Noctis was standing at the table looking over floor plans, while Regis was taking down notes.

“My apologies. I was held up right as I was about to leave.” Ignis bowed momentarily before taking off his bag and pulling out his notes. 

“Right… Held up… Did you run here? You’re quite flush. Do you need a minute to cool off?” Noct looked over Ignis and smirked.

Ignis shot him a death glare, but said nothing as he opened his notebooks to the last page of notes he was on. “Shall we begin where we left off? I believe we were trying to figure out the best security plans...”

~~~~~

After four hours, Ignis made his way back to his office. The meeting had gone much longer than he had anticipated, as a few council members had decided to join them, asking too many questions and trying to change details that either didn’t really matter, or could change the entire day.

He shut the door, leaned against it and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated it when the council wanted to stick their fingers in everything they did, but it couldn’t be helped. He smoothed over as much as he could so the plans could get underway. 

Pushing off from the door, he slid his bag off and set it on the chair in front of his desk, when he saw a letter sitting on his desk. The envelope was forest green with silver trim. His name was neatly written on the front. 

With a raised eyebrow, he picked it up and opened it. Inside sat an invitation, an address and instructions on how to get there, and a smaller card with his initials on it. 

_“Mr. Ignis Scientia,_

_You are cordially invited to the Behemoth Masquerade on October 31st.  
Guests are expected to arrive in full costume, including masks. We ask that you do not tell anyone who you are. It takes away from the mysteriousness of the evening.  
You are allowed to bring a guest.  
Doors will be unlocked at 8 PM. The evening’s festivities will continue throughout the night. Rooms will be available for those unable to safely return home._

_Please have your entry card on your person. You will not be allowed in without it._

_We hope you will attend.  
~ Z”_

Ignis looked over everything a few times before sitting down at his desk, rereading the invitation again. Who was Z, and who hand delivered the letter? Should he actually go? Gladio is always hounding him to stop working and enjoy life, maybe this was a sign.

He looked back over it. He could bring a guest? Would he be able to convince Gladiolus to come with him? He mused before he felt his phone buzz. Pulling it out of his pocket, he sees it’s King Regis. 

“Yes, your Majesty? Everything alright?”

_“Everything is quite alright. I wanted to ask if you also received an invitation to a Behemoth Masquerade?”_

“Yes. It was on my desk when I returned from our meeting. How did you know, and should we be worried?”

Ignis paused for a moment. This could be a trap to hurt the king or prince. 

_“No, this happens every year, but they are very selective on who they send invitations out too. Noctis has received one this year, and will be bringing Prompto as his guest. I’d like you to go and keep an eye on them.”_

Ignis felt confused. Why would the king request him to go to watch his son, and not the shield? Or perhaps he already asked Gladio, and he wanted them both there. 

“Wouldn’t Gladio be better suited, as he is Noct’s shield?”

_“Gladio is busy with family affairs that evening, unfortunately. Else he would have gone with you, as he did not receive an invitation. So the task falls to you as Noct’s advisor.”_

Well, there goes his idea of asking Gladio to be his guest.

“Of course, your Majesty. I will be there the entire time Noctis and Prompto are there.”

Ignis heard a light chuckle on the other end.

_“Ignis.. You need to lighten up. Enjoy yourself. Nothing is going to happen. I do hope your costume is grand though. I will let Noct know to start getting something planned. Thank you, Ignis.”_

“I.. Yes, you’re correct, and I will make sure it is a grand costume. You’re welcome, your Majesty.”

With a click, the call ended. 

Ignis slumped back into his chair and sighed. What on Eos was he going to wear?

~~~~~

The days leading up to the masquerade were a flurry as Ignis put the final touches on his Goblin King-esque costume, taking some inspiration from the movie Labyrinth. He didn’t want to go as the man himself, but he took subtle hints here and there from the dream sequence.

Instead of blues and silvers, he went with rich browns, tans and whites. He decided to go with a long blond wig, similar to his own hair color, with various braids hanging down throughout the back, adorned with a feather headpiece. 

The mask was simple, coming down to mid-cheek. Light brown, with feather looking details on the sides, which attached to the headpiece, leaving his hands free. Not that Ignis was worried anything would happen, but it would be much easier to jump into combat with free hands rather than have to toss a mask aside. 

He stood back and smiled, admiring his work before checking the time. It was four o’clock. That gave him just enough time to get ready, starting with his face and eyes. While he wasn’t fond of contacts, he bought chocolate brown lenses. His green was too piercing, and would give him away under the mask.

Couldn’t have anyone knowing who he was, now could he?

~~~~~

Ignis checked his watch, it read seven thirty. With a soft sigh, he took one last glance in the mirror, checking to make sure nothing was out of place, and that he had his entry card. Ignis left, opting to drive himself over getting a cab. He would rather know he could leave at any time, and take the prince home if needed, than have to rely on someone else.

After finding the perfect parking space, Ignis slipped out of the car, double checking that everything was still intact. He felt slightly jittery with nerves, as this was all out of character for him. He made his way towards the large mansion, and fell into line with the other guests right before eight o’clock. Handing his entry card to the doorman, he entered the large entry way. 

The mansion was quite large with three floors, various rooms ranging from bedrooms to libraries to sitting rooms, though most were blocked off for safety reasons. He allowed himself a moment to wander and appreciate the architecture before he made it into the grand ballroom. 

The music was quiet as he made his way across the room to find a better vantage point to watch from. While not exactly on duty, it was still his responsibility to look after Noctis and Prompto in the absence of Gladio. 

As more people entered, he began to question who each person was. Right off the bat he could tell exactly which of the guests were the prince and his guest. Neither of them knew how to not be themselves, which was fine. They looked absolutely adorable. Prompto in an ensemble that resembled a yellow chocobo, and Noct in a similar one only black.

~~~~~

Ignis had settled himself in a corner watching the other guests dancing rather than trying to find someone to dance with himself, when someone new walked through the door. He paused and really took them in. Adorned in a forest green suit, with vines wrapped around their arms, legs and torso. Black gloves covered their hands.

Their headpiece consisted of long brown hair, pulled back into a low ponytail, with curved black horns pointing down on either side of their head. Their mask covered their entire face. Black, with a green sheen to it, plain as to not take away from the outfit. They wore black sclera contacts, which finished the outfit, giving them an otherworldly, almost demon, feel. 

As Ignis watched the stranger begin to pace along the other side of the room, something about them felt familiar, but he couldn’t place why. Their gait wasn’t like anyone he knew. The size, maybe, but there were many people in the citadel who were built larger than most. He didn’t realize he was staring until the stranger stopped, and was staring back. 

A flush crept across Ignis’s cheeks as he coughed and looked away. He hadn’t meant to get caught staring, and yet he let his eyes linger a little too long. He began to walk towards the drink station when he realized the stranger began to walk his direction. Ignis paused mid-step before deciding to wait and see what would happen next. 

As the stranger got closer, the music shifted to a familiar melody, “All Was Well” played on a music box and modulin. It was a favorite of his, and he thought it quite peculiar that it would begin playing now while the stranger got closer. 

Ignis straightened up, holding his hands behind his back as he was approached. The stranger bowed, and held out one hand as an offer to dance, while the other placed one finger up to his mask, as if making the “shhh” motion. 

Cocking his head to the side, Ignis slowly reaches out and places his hand in the strangers. The King did say to enjoy himself, and since he wasn’t going to seek out a dance partner on his own, he would accept the offer. 

The stranger grasped his hand, and gently guided him to the dance floor. He placed his hand on Ignis’s waist pulling him in close which caused Ignis’s breath to catch in his throat as he placed his hand on his shoulder. With the stranger taking the lead, they slowly waltzed around the semi-empty floor. 

The familiar feeling crept back into his mind as they danced. He wished he could see the face of his partner, or at least their eyes. The black lenses did well to hide any emotions, or any semblance of who this person was, and yet, there was still a sense of safety as they sped up with the tempo of the music.

The stranger moved them with ease along the outer edges of the dance floor, until they made their way into the center of the room. They had become the center of attention without setting out to be, as the rest of the guests scattered. They complimented each other in their colors, moving fluidly, as if this was a normal occurrence in their lives. 

As the music slowed to a stop, so did their dance. They held onto each other for a moment before the stranger pulled away. Ignis went to protest, but the stranger held up his finger again to quiet him, before reaching behind his head to undo the mask ties. As he slides the mask off, Ignis gasps softly. 

“Gladio…”

Ignis whispers as he fiddles with the sides of his own mask to remove it, careful not to pull on his headpiece. He slowly pulled it away, looking at Gladio. Both stunned into silence. How had Ignis not realized who he was dancing with? He wondered, but it all made sense now that the masks were pulled off. 

As Ignis went to speak again, Gladio placed a finger on his lips. “Shhh…” he whispered as he trailed his fingers across Ignis’s cheek to cup it. Gladio bent down and gently kissed him as he promptly ignored the change in the music, and the new dancers on the floor. 

He pulled away leaving Ignis breathless. “I hoped I would find you tonight. I’m glad things played out in my favor.”

Ignis leaned into Gladio’s hand and hummed softly. Although confused on how he managed to be here whilst supposedly having other plans, Ignis was happy to spend whatever amount of time he could get with the other man. 

“I didn’t know you could dance so well, Gladio…”

Gladio chuckled, and stroked Igni’s cheek with his thumb. “Give me more than five uninterrupted minutes, and I’ll dance the night away with you.”

Ignis blinked for a moment, then laughed, thinking back to the conversation in his office. 

“I’d like that, Gladio. Let’s start those uninterrupted minutes tonight, shall we?”


End file.
